Door latch



. M. M. -DUDAS Doon LATCH Y nMay 17.1927.

Filed Julsr 17, 1925 Patented May 17, 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATENT trice.

MICHAEL M. DUDAS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

:Doon LATCH.

Application filed July 17, 1925. Serial No. 44,325.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in latches and more particularly to a latch designed for use on swinging doors for retaining the doors in a normally a closed position. The main object of my invention is the provision of a pivoted latch member including a weight forv normally retaining the latch member in a` locking position and includes means for limiting the .0 pivotal swinging movement of the latch inV either direction. Y `Another object of the present'invention is the provision of a latch of the above character having means whereby to lock the latch member in a locking position and whereby the same may be quickly and readily released when so desired. U

With the above and other objects 1n view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described,y pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the application of the latch.

Fig, 2 is a detailed longitudinal sectlonal view of the latch.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. and 'Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the pivotal latch with the catch member removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral-1 indicatesa portion of a door casing having a swinging door 2 movable with respect thereto and attached to the door adjacent the casing is a base plate 3. Projecting downwardly from the plate 3 are the spaced arms 4 and 5 arrangedin parallelrelation as `*shown in Fig. 3 with their lower ends slightly curved as shown at 6. The plate 3.is removably attached to` the door 2 by means of the screws 7 The movable latch member 8 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the pin 9 the ends of which are mounted within suitable openings 10 formed in the lower ends of thel spaced'arms 4 and 5. At the inner end of the latch member which is movable upon the arms 4 and 5 and disvposed at the lower side thereof is a weight 11 which normally retains the inner end of the catch member in a loweredpositien shown inFig. 1, and the outer member in a raised o-r locking position. The outer end of the lcatch member is provided with a curved surface 12 which extends from` the outer point of the latch member inwardly to the shoulder 13 which forms a stop for t-he stop bar 14, said stop bar engaging with the shoulder 13 to retain the door in a locked position. v

The plate 3 is provided with a recess 15 in which is movable the lug 16- projecting from the inner endof the catch memberS, said lug .being adapted to engage opposite ends of the recess 15 on the plate 3 for limiting the swinging movement of the catch member 8. lIn order to release the locking portion of the catch member from the stop bar 14, the flexible elements 17 are attached to the latch member ata point adjacent its outer end so that by pulling downwardly uponv its flexible element. the shoulder 13 will be disengaged from the stop bar 14 for permitting 'opening movement of the door.

M v improved locking feature for the latch member includes a U shaped member 18 oneside of which extends thru both ofthe arms 4 and 5 and thru the slot 19 in the latch member 8 as is clearlv shown in Fig. 3, the slot 19 beingl of sulHcient size to permit swinging movement of the catch member 8 with the longer end of the member 18, (20) disposed therein. The catch member is provided with a transverse opening 21 arranged adjacent the slot 19 as shown in Figs'Q and 3 adapted to receive the shorter end 22 of the locking` member 18 when it is desired to lock the latch member as shown in Fig. 1. It will be apparent that in locking the latch member the member 18 is pushed inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3-so that the shorter end of the member 18 is moved into the opening 21 and asthe longer end 20 of the member 18 is disposed at one end of the slot, it will beimpossible toimpart a swinging or pivotal movement to the latch member for disengaging the f shoulder 13v yfrom. the bar 14 so as to securely retain the ylatch member in a locked position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the latch member assumes a locking position, due to the weightll and when the door is swung to a closed position. the

bevelled edge Q3 on the lower end of the 'i stop bar 14 'will engage with the curvedsur,-

prac@ er and tease laten claim. S

.against additional movement'so that the curved portion 12 of the latch member is always in position for engagement With the bevelled'lower edge of the bar 14 and 'it Will be apparent that either keeper or stop bars may be used in place of the member 14; as shown. p

VVhile I have shown and described the preferred. form of my invention, it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction andthe combinations and proportions maybe resorted. to for s uccessfully carrying my invention into practice Without sacrlficmg'any ofthe novel features or` departing from the scope of the appended Having thus described my invention, WhatI claim is:

The combination With a stationary struetural unit, and a structural unit movable relative to the stationary structural unit, of a bracket secured. tothe movable unit and having a recess formed therein and comprising spaced ears extending from the body of. the bracket, a latch-disposed between the spaced ears, saidv latch having an outer end portion providedI with a shoulderya stop bar yarried by the -stationary unit andV adapted to be engaged by the shoulder, a projection on said latchextending into said recess and cooperating with said member to limit pivotal movement of thelatch, a weight on said latch for normally retaining said/latch in position toengage the stop bar, anda movable pin operable on said latch l:for releasably holding said latch in an inoperative position with respect to the bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

-' MICHAEL M. DUDAS. 

